Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a seatbelt for a vehicle, comprising a belt strap that is composed of a plurality of belt strap layers and at least one belt inner space that can be impacted with a gas, wherein the belt strap is guided through a recess of a buckle tongue which can be inserted into a belt buckle.
European Patent Document EP 1 457 392 A1 discloses a seatbelt for protecting a vehicle occupant that comprises a buckle tongue with a guide-through element for a belt strap. The seatbelt further comprises a belt buckle fastened to the vehicle that is provided to receive the buckle tongue and a seatbelt retractor device for retracting the belt strap, the seatbelt retractor also being fastened to the vehicle. The belt strap is formed from a flexible fabric tube, wherein a first end of the belt strap is connected to the vehicle and the other end to the retractor device. A middle section of the belt strap is guided through the guide-through element of the buckle tongue. The seatbelt is formed as a three-point seatbelt with a lap portion and a torso portion. The seatbelt further comprises an inflatable airbag element that extends within the belt strap from the first end into the torso region. The belt strap comprises, in areas, a reinforced tube that surrounds the airbag element and is arranged between the airbag element and the flexible fabric tube forming the belt strap. The reinforced tube is thereby arranged in the lap region so that the airbag element and the belt strap unfold upon impact of the airbag element in the region of the torso region. The impacting of the airbag element with a gas takes place if the vehicle collides with an obstacle.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to an improved seatbelt for a vehicle.
The seatbelt for a vehicle comprises a belt strap that is composed of a plurality of belt strap layers and at least one belt inner space, which can be impacted with a gas, wherein the belt strap is guided through a recess of a buckle tongue which can be inserted into a belt buckle.
According to the invention a holding element is arranged on the belt strap, the holding element holds the buckle tongue in a defined position when the belt strap is in a retracted state.
The buckle tongue is thereby prevented from slipping downwards into a position that is hard to reach for the vehicle occupant in such a way that a high degree of comfort is achieved for the occupants of the vehicle. In particular the buckle tongue is held in a grip-favorable position.
According to a further aspect of the invention the holding element is fixed to precisely one of the at least two belt strap layers. This results in a particularly advantageous manner in the influence of the holding element upon the unfolding of the belt strap being reduced when said belt strap is impacted with the gas.
The holding element preferably thereby comprises an outer element arranged on an outer side of the belt strap layer and an inner element arranged on an inner side of the belt strap layer and connected to the outer element, so that a reliable fixing of the holding element on the belt strap layer is possible.
The outer element and the inner element preferably comprise precisely one common fixing point. The holding element thus lies, when the belt strap is unfolded and impacted with gas, tangentially and only on a line extending parallel to the belt strap on the outer side of the belt strap layer. This results in a further reduction in the influence of the holding element upon the unfolding of the belt strap. The release of the holding element from the belt strap when the belt strap is impacted with the gas is avoided.
According to an alternative embodiment the outer element and the inner element comprise a plurality of common fixing points. This embodiment facilitates a very stable fixing of the holding element.
In order to achieve a low degree of influence upon the unfolding of the belt strap through the holding element both in the design of the holding element with a fixing point and in the design of the holding element with a plurality of fixing points, the outer element and/or the inner element is/are preferably flexible, in particular being formed to be easily plastically or elastically deformable. The outer element and the inner element are thereby preferably made of plastic, silicone or rubber. As a result of this easy deformability, a deformation of the holding element takes place in the same way as the deformation of the belt strap. This means that the holding element follows the deformation of the belt strap. A release of the holding element is also avoided here when the belt strap is impacted with the gas.
In an alternative or additional design to the plastic or elastic deformability, one or more depressions are incorporated into the outer element, the depressions are orientated from its surface in the direction of the belt strap layer in such a way that the outer element is subdivided into a plurality of outer element segments. This results in a particularly advantageous way in a further improved deformation of the outer element upon deformation of the belt strap when said belt strap is impacted with the gas.
One or more depressions are thereby preferably incorporated into the inner element orientated from the surface thereof in the direction of the belt strap layer in such a way that the inner element is subdivided into a plurality of inner element segments. The deformation of the inner element thus also takes place when the belt strap is impacted with the gas in the same way as the deformation of the belt strap.
If the deformation of both of the inner element and of the outer element occurs when the belt strap is impacted with the gas in the same way as the deformation of the belt strap, an uninfluenced unfolding of the belt strap can take place.
In an alternative development to fixing the holding element to precisely one of the belt strap layers of the seatbelt according to the invention, the holding element is formed to at least partially engage around the belt strap.
The holding element is thereby preferably formed as a slide element and arranged so that it can be displaced at least in the direction of a length extension of the belt strap on the belt strap so that the position, in which the buckle tongue is to be held, can be specified individually by the vehicle occupant.
In order to facilitate a deformation of the holding element formed as a slide element when the belt strap is impacted with the gas, the holding element is preferably particularly easily elastically deformable.
Alternatively or additionally, a length extension and/or width extension of the holding element formed as a slide element can be changed in such a way that an optimized form adaptation of the holding element to the belt strap can take place.
Corresponding parts are provided with the same reference numerals in all the figures.